University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


THE  .  — , 


GREAT  COMMERCIAL  PRIZE 


ADDRESSED 


TO  EVERY  AMERICAN  WHO  VALUES  THE  PROSPERITY  OF  HIS  COUNTRY. 


BY  CHARLES  C.  COFFIN. 

▲    MEMBER   OF    THE    BOSTON   PBESS. 


BOSTON : 

A.     WILLIAMS     &     CO., 

100  Waihihgtoh  Stkest. 

1858. 


.  AJID  W.  NOLAN  *  J* 

C  0 


TnE  GREAT  COMMERCIAL  PRIZE. 


AN  ENQUIRY  INTO  THE  PRESENT  AND  PROSPECTIVE  COMMERCIAL 
POSITION  OP  THE  UNITED  STATES,  AND  A  PLEA  FOR  THE  IMMEDIATE 
CONSTRUCTION  OF  A  RAILROAD  FROM  MISSOURI  RIVER  TO  PUGET  SOUND. 


Great  events  are  transpiring  in  the  world  which  have  a  direct 
and  all-important  bearing  on  the  United  States.  China  and 
Japan  have  recently  been  brought  in  connection  with  the  rest 
of  the  world.  The  five  hundred  millions  of  beings  in  those 
countries  are  henceforth  to  be  readied  by  the  hand  of  civiliza- 
tion. Russia  is  extending  its  power,  its  enterprise,  its  lines  of 
trade  and  traffic  eastward  to  the  Pacific,  to  seek  in  that  direc- 
tion an  outlet  for  her  trade,  now  denied  her  through  the  Black 
Sea.  India  under  British  rule  is  throwing  its  lines  of  railway 
in  every  direction.  Australia  is  taking  the  proportion  of  an  em- 
pire, yielding  a  hundred  million  dollars  in  gold  per  annum,  with 
unequalled  agricultural  recources  —  with  a  population  already 
numbering  six  hundred  thousand,  who  speak  the  Anglo  Saxon 
tongue,  and  who  are  animated  with  ideas  of  progress  and  ad- 
vancement. The  Islands  of  the  Pacific— the  half-way  houses  of 
trade  and  travel  are  feeling  the  vivifying  influence  of  the  time. 
Chili  is  building  along  her  vallies  and  mountain  peaks,  railroads 
which  shall  bring  the  riches  of  the  Andes  to  the  sea.  On  our 
western  shores,  California,  Oregon,  Washington  and  Vancou- 
ver are  awaiting  the  hand  of  industry  to  yield  their  riches. 
Around  and  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  are  the  "  signs  of  the  times." 
The  question  arises  as  to  the  bearing  of  these  movements  on 


the  future  of  the  TTniteH  States  ?  There  is  a  great  commercial 
prize  before  us.  What  are  our  relations  to  it  ?  Can  we  make 
it  ours  ;  or  are  we  to  see  it  grasped  by  other  hands  ? 

In  the  following  pages  no  attempt  will  be  made  to  name  the 
vastness  of  the  prize,  or  its  value ;  for  its  vastness  and  richness 
is  incalculable.  An  attempt  only  will  be  made  to  set  forth  very 
briefly  the  means,  the  only  means  by  which  that  prize  may  be 
secured !  To  that  single  point  the  attention  of  every  American 
who  loves  his  country's  prosperity,  is  called. 

There  are  but  two  river  systems  on  the  Pacific  coast  of  this 
continent,  which  can  be  made,  in  any  great  degree,  available  for 
commerce — the  Sacramento  and  the  Columbia.  The  only  com- 
modious harbors  on  the  Pacific  coast,  are  connected  with  these 
river  systems.  The  Columbia  river  is  obstructed  by  a  bar  of 
sand  at  its  mouth,  which  renders  the  navigation  of  its  waters 
dangerous;  but  near  by,  and  in  effect  connected  with  the  Co- 
lumbia, is  Puget  Sound,  the  great  northern  gateway  of  the  con- 
tinent, where,  as  at  the  Golden  gate,  a  great  metropolis  is  soon 
to  rise,  for  nature  has  selected  it  to  be  in  future  years,  one  of 
the  world's  great  centres  of  trade. 

Ten  years  ago,  San  Francisco  was  a  place  of  half  a  dozen 
houses  ;  but  now  it  is  the  great  metropolis  of  the  Pacific  coast. 
Commerce  has  made  it  her  mart,  and  a  great  state,  the  richest 
of  all  states  in  mineral  resources,  has  grown  as  if  by  magic, 
with  all  the  elements  of  civilization  during  the  decade.  But  in 
the  future,  San  Francisco  is  not  alone  to  gather  the  riches  of 
the  West.  The  Northern  gate-way  is  to  receive  its  portion  of 
trade. 

Puget  Sound  is  reached  from  the  Pacific  Ocean  through  the 
Straits  of  Fuca.  It  is  as  will  be  seen  by  a  glance  at  the  map,  a 
series  of  deep  indentations,  sawn  into  the  continent,  close  up  to 
the  coast  range  of  mountains  and  down  almost  to  the  Columbia, 
as  if  Nature  had  been  trying  her  hand  at  fancy  cabinet  work. 
These  indentations  are  deep  bays,  navigable  for  the  largest  ships, 
securely  land  locked,  reaching  an  hundred  and  fifty  miles  inland 
from  the  sea.  There,  in  this  scroll  work,  is  1500  miles  of  coast 
line  in  the  United  States  territory,  furnishing  a  number  of 


the  best  harbors  in  the  world — deep,  capacious,  and  surrounded 
with  every  thing  needed  by  commerce.  In  the  language  of 
Commodore  Wilkes,  of  the  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition,  "There 
is  nothing  to  prevent  the  navigation  of  these  waters  by  the  larg- 
est ships-of-war  afloat. 

The  Sound  may  be  said  to  belong  to  the  Columbia  valley, 
which  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  sections 
of  the  globe.  The  river  itself  with  its  tributaries  might  furnish 
waters  for  all  of  the  machinery  of  the  world.  Immense  beds  of 
coal  exist  so  near  to  the  sound,  that  the  coal  may  be  tossed  from 
the  mine  to  the  hold  of  a  steamship.  These  coal  fields  are  the 
only  ones  known  to  exist'  on  the  Pacific  —  from  which  Califor- 
nia, and  the  steam  marine  of  the  Pacific  in  the  future  must 
receive  supplies.  In  addition  there  are  the  gold  fields  of 
Frazer  river,  of  Washington  and  Oregon  near  at  hand.  Its 
climate  is  milder  than  that  of  New  England,  although  five  de- 
grees further  north.  Its  rivers  are  filled  with  salmon,  and  the 
cod-fish  is  found  in  great  abundance  along  its  shores.  Inland, 
are  deposits  of  marble  and  iron,  awaiting  the  quarried  hammer. 
These  are  some  of  the  surroundings  of  the  Northern  gate-way  of 
the  continent. 

What  is  to  be  the  future  of  Puget  Sound  ? 

It  is  evident  that  the  world  is  soon  to  see  a  great  change  in 
its  thoroughfares  of  trade  and  travel.  Hitherto,  civilization 
has  had  communication  with  the  Orientals,  with  India  and 
China  only  by  passages  around  the  southern  Capes  of  the  two 
Continents  ;  but  the  advancement  of  civilization  to  our  Pacific 
coast  places  us  midway  between  England  and  Europe  on  the 
one  hand,  and  China  and  India  on  the  other. 

America  hitherto,  has  advanced  merely  by  using  its  right  arm 
of  Commerce — but  now  the  time  has  come  for  it  to  stretch  out 
its  left  arm,  and  lay  its  hand  upon  the  trade  of  Asia.  Puget 
Sound  fronts  China.  It  is  less  than  5000  miles  from  Shanghai, 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yang  tse  Kiang,  the  fifth  largest 
river  of  the  globe.  It  is  but  3500  miles  from  Japan,  4000  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Amoor,  and  7200  from  Sydney  in  Australia, 
Turning  eastward  into  the  heart  of  our  Continent,  it  is  of  itself 
an  hundred  and  fifty  miles  inland  from  the  Pacific.    Four  hun* 


dred  miles  further  inland  are  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Mis- 
souri, leading  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  up  the  Mississippi,  to 
the  Lakes,  and  the  Ohio  to  the  Aleghanies.  It  is  in  a  direct  line 
with  the  great  Lawrentian  chain  of  water  communication,  reach- 
ing from  the  Atlantic,  more  than  half  way  across  the  continent. 
In  addition,  nature  has,  as  will  be  more  .fully  shown,  leveled 
the  Rocky  Mountains  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri,  as  if 
in  kindness  to  man,  that  he  may  easily  make  a  highway  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 

In  all  past  time,  civilized  nations  have  prospered  as  they  have 
controlled  the  trade  of  the  East.  England  has  enriched  herself 
through  her  Indian  Empire.  "  British  India  "  says  Hon.  Mr. 
Martin,  the  Queen's  late  Treasurer  at  Hjng  Kong,  "  has  remit- 
ted to  England  during  the  last  fifty  years,  in  bullion  and  pro- 
duce, $750,000,000."  Sir  Charles  Forbes  remarks  that  "  the 
wealth  which  England  has  received  from  the  natives  of  India 
would  at  compound  interest  pay  off  the  national  debt." 

The  commercial  system  which  England  has  adopted  is  simple 
—  it  consists  in  making  herself  the  world's  banking  house. 

She  has  also  adopted  a  consolodated  political  system,  which 
is  subordinate  to  her  commercial  system.  In  the  language  of 
Lord  Brougham,  it  is  her  policy  "  to  preserve  the  connection  of 
the  different  component  parts  of  a  great  and  scattered  empire, 
and  to  connect  the  whole  mass."  To  do  this,  "she  fosters  a  steam 
marine — appropriating  immense  sums  annually  for  mail  service 
to  Canada,  Jamaica,  Central  America,  South  America,  Australia 
the  East,  the  Mediterranean  and  Red  Seas ;  and  up  the 
Pacific  coast  from  Panama  to  Frazer  river.  She  establishes  lines 
of  regular  communication,  of  travel  and  trade  at  all  points,  — 
not  only  with  her  own  colonies,  but  with  countries  under  other 
governments,  to  bring  all  the  arteries  of  the  world  in  connection 
with  that  little  heart,  lying  secure  from  harm  in  its  sea-girt  isle ! 
To  this  end  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  of  Canada  has  been  con- 
structed ;  for  this,  the  Victoria  bridge  is  rising  above  the  waters 
of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

This  policy,  has  made  the  British  Empire  the  most  wonderful 
nation  of  all  time.  "I  must  have  ships,  colonies,  and 
commerce"  said  Napoleon,  when  seeking  the  overthrow  of 


England.  ft  Render  the  colonies  of  England  useless,  or  deprive 
her  of  them,  and  you  break  down  her  last  wall  and  fill  up  her 
last  moat,"  said  Talleyrand.  England  understands  her  danger 
as  well  as  she  does  the  secret  of  her  snccess ;  she  knows  that 
her  existence  as  a  first  power,  or  her  existence  at  all,  is  depen- 
dent upon  her  commercial  activity.  She  must  keep  ahead  of 
all  other  nations, — must  continue  to  be  the  world's  banker  if  she 
would  maintain  her  power  and  position.  Her  statesmen  under- 
stand the  question,  and  with  far  reaching  policy  are  laying 
plans  worthy  of  a  great  empire  to  retain  what  has  been  won, 
and  obtain  new  triumphs.  Said  Mr.  Roebuck  in  Parliament,  on 
the  20th  of  August  last : — 

"  The  present  state  of  the  North  American  continent  was  a  matter 
of  great  interest  to  England.  That  continent  was  divided  among 
three  possessors.  The  southern  arid  most  important  portion  belonged 
to  the  United  States  of  America,  which  ran  up  to  where  they  met  the 
dominion  of  England,  which  stretched  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 
England  possessed  the  larger  part  of  the  continent,  which  proceeded 
northward  until  it  reached  upon  its  western  frontier  the  territory 
belonging  to  Russia.  We  heretofore  had  planted  colonies  in  the 
southern  division  that  he  had  named.  We  had  planted  thirteen  colo- 
nies in  that  country ;  those  colonies  had  declared  their  independence, 
and  had  since  increased  to  the  number  of  thirty-five  or  thirty-six  free 
States.  We  had  created  a  power  there  which,  if  something  were  not 
done  by  England  as  a  counterpoise  to  the  United  States  of  America, 
would  overshadow  not  only  England  but  the  earth.  He  believed  that 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  continent  we  had  the  means  of  establish- 
ing the  counterpoise  which  he  sought.  If  England  would  carry  out 
a  systematic  plan  of  colonization  upon  that  portion  of  the  continent 
which  now  belonged  to  her,  she  would  enable  the  world  to  resist  what 
he  believed  would  otherwise  be  the  predominate  power  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  now  established  in  the  United  States.  It  was  on  this 
ground  that  he  solicited  the  attention  of  the  House  to  the  few  words 
which  he  wished  to  address  to  them.  The  English  possessed  a  portion 
of  the  American  continent,  stretching  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
north  of  the  great  lakes.  Prince  Edward  Island,  Nova  Scotia,  Ne^ 
Brunswick,  Lower  and  Upper  Canada,  were  colonies  when  the  English 
became  possessed  of  the  country,  and  since  that  time  they  had  not 
added  to  the  territory  one  acre  of  land  in  the  way  of  colonization.  In 
the  meantime  the  Americans  had  increased  from  thirteen  to  thirty-six 
independent  States,  and  from  3,000,000  population  to  nearly  80,000, 
000,  while  the  English  had  remained  idle  ;  and  though  they  had  seen 
the  Americans  become  one  of  the  greatest  nations,  they,  notwithstand- 
ing that  they  had  the  means,  had  effected  nothing  as  a  counterpoise 
to  the  Americans.    He  wished  to  see  this  s&te  of  things  ended. 


8 

He  thought  it  proper  that  the  rights  of  the  Hudson  Bay  company 
under  their  charter  should  be  ascertained,  so  that  the  whole  of  the 
land  should  be  converted  to  the  purposes  of  civilization,  and  the 
dominion  of  England  be  carried  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 

Taking  the  Western  side  of  Lake  Superior  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
they  would  cut  the  new  colony  which  the  right  honorable  Secretary 
for  the  colonies  proposed  to  establish,  and  he  believed  plans  had  been 
laid  before  the  right  honorable  Baronet  for  carrying  a  railway  com- 
pletely across  the  Continent,  so  that  a  direct  communication  would  be 
established  between  England  and  Vancouver's  Island,  by  way  of  Halifax. 
This  was  a  magnificent  scheme.  He  believed  the  right  honorable 
Secretary  for  the  Colonies  was  ambitious  of  renown ;  indeed,  he  had 
already  given  the  world  pledges  of  that  ambition ;  and  he  would  tell 
the  right  honorable  Baronet  that  the  man  who  carried  out  this  scheme 
would  have  achieved  greater  things  than  even  he  (Sir  B.  Lytton)  had 
done  for  literature,  and  his  name  would  be  handed  down  to  posterity 
as  a  great  Colonial  Minister.  The  accomplishment  of  such  a  scheme 
would  unite  England  with  Vancouver's  Island  and  with  China,  and 
they  would  be  enabled  widely  to  extend  the  civilization  of  England. 
When  he  referred  to  the  civilization  of  England,  he  wished  it  to  be 
compared  with  the  civilization  of  America,  and  he  would  boldly  assert 
that  the  civilization  of  England  was  greater  than  that  of  America. 
The  Colonial  Secretary,  Sir  E.  B.  Lytton,  said : — 
•'  Already,  by  the  Pacific,  Vancouver's  Island  has  been  added  to  the 
social  communities  of  mankind.  Already,  in  the  large  territory  which 
extends  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains — from  the  American  frontier,  and 
up  to  the  skirts  of  the  Russian  domains — we  are  laying  the  foundations 
of  what  may  become,  hereafter,  a  magnificent  abode  for  the  human  race; 
and  now,  eastward  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  we  are  invited  to  see,  in 
the  settlement  of  the  Red  River,  the  nucleus  of  a  new  colony,  a  ram- 
part  against  any  hostile  inroads  from  the  American  frontier,  and  an 
essential  arch,  as  it  were,  to  that  great  viaduct  by  which  we  hope  one  day 
to  connect  the  harbors  of  Vancouver  with  the  gulf  of  St.  Lawrence." 

With  such  a  line  of  railway  constructed,  commencing  at 
Halifax  and  passing  via  the  Grand  Trunk  line  to  Montreal,  up 
the  Saskatchawan  to  Puget  Sound,  the  position  of  England 
would  be  thus,  by  steam ; — 
From  Shanghai,  jfl 

"  "        by  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  15,500  miles,  70  days 

"  "        by  Panama,  14,000      "     65    * 

"  "        Puget  Sound,  10,200     "      37  " 

From  Sydney, 
"  "      by  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  14,500  miles,  68  days 

"  "      by.Panama,  11,700      "      60  " 

«  "      by  Suez,  13,500      «      63  " 

"  "      by  Puget  Sound,  12,400      "     41  « 


9 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  a  passage  from  England  to  China  can 
be  made  in  thirty  four  days  less  time  than  by  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  is  of  itself  sufficient  to  warrant  the  construction  of  the 
.line  by  a  power  which  has  so  much  at  stake.  Surveys  are  now 
being  made ;  one  party  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Palliser  is 
moving  from  Lake  Superior  west,  and  another,  commanded  by 
Capt.  Elliot,  is  moving  east  from  Puget  Sound ;  they  are  to 
meet  at  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Meanwhile  Her  Majesty  has  summoned  delegates  from  her 
American  Provinces  who  are  now  assembled  at  London  to  advise 
in  the  matter.  The  probabilities  are  therefore  that  immediate 
action  will  be  taken  by  the  British  interests  to  secure  the  trade 
and  travel  of  the  East  by  the  construction  of  this  line. 

The  grant  of  lands  made  by  Congress  to  the  Minnesota  and 
Pacific  Eailroad  Company,  on  that  portion  extending  from  St. 
Paul  to  the  British  line  at  Pembina,  have  been  or  will  be  offered 
to  those  owning  the  great  railway  lines  through  Canada.  This 
will  give  those  companies  a  route  through  our  territory  to  the 
British  Possessions  on  the  Pacific.  This  road  ia  entitled  to  two 
million  acres  of  land  along  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Bed  Rivers,  worth,  with  the  road  built,  it  is  estimated,  at  least 
$15  per  acre. 

It  is  plain  that  if  a  railway  is  carried  across  the  continent 
through  Canada,  as  it  undoubtedly  will  be,  or  that  if  it  is 
controlled  by  British  interests,  it  will  be  of  little  value  to  Amer- 
ican commerce,  and  also  it  is  plain  that  if  the  terminus  at 
Puget  Sound  is  in  the  British  dominions,  the  great  metropolis 
of  the  North  West  will  be  a  British  metropolis. 

Supposing  that  the  road  is  built,  and  that  British  power  con- 
trols it,  it  presents  two  dilemmas  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States  :  first,  it  controls  commerce,  has  all  the  benefits,  and  reaps 
all  the  advantages ;  second,  it  gives  Great  Britian  the  key  of  the 
North  West !     These  are  plain,  indisputable  facts. 

Let  us  look  at  the  commercial  prize. 

The  trade  with  China  alone  is  estimated  at  the  present  time 
to  be  one  hundred  and  thirty  millions  of  dollars  per  annum, 
and  the  trade  of  the  asiatic  Archipelago,  at  an  additional 
hundred  millions  of  dollars.    This  has  been  done  with  only  a 


10 

few  ports  open  to  trade  ;  but  now,  the  entire  Chinese  and  Japan 
Empires  are  open  without  restriction  even  to  the  navigation  of 
the  great  rivers  of  China,  the  Yang-Tse-Kiang  navigable 
for  two  thousand  miles  to  the  Thibet  country,  and  the  Hoang- 
Ho  two  thousand  miles  in  length,  draining  Korkonor,  bringing 
four  hundred  millions  of  people  in  connection  with  the  civilized 
world. 

The  imports  of  Silk  from  China  to  England,  direct  in  1855 
was  4,436,852  lbs.  The  amount  from  other-countries  to  Eng- 
land the  same  year,  2,182,000  lbs.  Teas  and  Silks  are  the  two 
great  staples  of  China  and  their  production  has  been  stimulated 
to  a  wonderful  degree  within  the  last  ten  years. 

In  1849  the  imports  of  Tea  into  England 

amounted  to        "-  -  -         47,000,000  lbs. 

In  1856  it  was  -  -  91,000,000  lbs. 

In  1849  the  imports  into  the  United  States 
amounted  to  -  -         18,000,000  lbs. 

In  1856  it  was  -  -  -   40,000,000  lbs. 

The  route  of  vessels  from  England  and  the  United  States  to 
China  crosses  the  Equator  twice  which  subjects  Teas  to  much 
damage  from  high  temperatures,  and  which  with  the  long  voyages 
causes  high  rates  of  insurance.  But  with  a  saving  of  thirty- 
four  days  time,  as  there  will  be  by  a  railroad  across  this  conti- 
nent, England  can  afford  to  obtain  her  Teas  and  Silks 
by  the  most  expeditious  route,  for  the  less  rates  of  insurance 
and  great  saving  of  time,  will  send  all  light  and  valuable 
freights  over  such  a  route. 

Hitherto  the  balance  of  trade  with  China  has  been  largely 
against  England.  It  has  only  been  through  the  Opium  trade 
that  she  has  avoided  paying  specie  for  nearly  all  of  the  Teas  and 
Silks  imported.  The  United  States  also  pays  specie  in  part. 
To  stop  this  drain  of  precious  metals,  and  to  supply  goods 
instead,  is  the  point  to  be  gained.  The  United  States  has  the 
only  great  staple  which  China  needs,  —  Cotton.  In  1856  the 
United  States  exported  to  Shanghai  221,716  pieces  of  drills  and 
14,420  of  sheetings,  against  1,420  of  English.  The  Chinese 
will  purchase  only  what  they  need.  They  are  not  yet  educated 
into  the  use  of  jeven  the  comforts  of  civilization.    An  English 


11 

manufacturer  exported  knives  to  China,  but  chop  sticks  were 
not  to  be  supplanted  by  that  movement.  Coarse  Cottons  are 
demanded,  because  they  furnish  cheap  clothing,  and  in  the 
manufacture  of  coarse  cottons,  England  cannot  compete  with 
the  United  States.  England  supplies  China  with  goods  to  the 
amount  of  two  million  dollars  per  annum  only, — the  balance 
being  paid  in  opium  and  specie.  The  great  necessity  with  Eng- 
land therefore,is,  to  bring  China  close  to  herself, — annihilate  time 
and  space,  and  thus  make  a  market  for  her  manufactures,  that 
she  may  remain  as  now,  the  world's  banking  house. 

But  in  addition  to  the  trade  with  China,  which,  although 
it  is  so  vast,  has  but  just  begun,  is  the  trade  with  the 
Amoor  country,  now  being  rapidly  developed  under  Kussian 
protection — a  trade  which  is  soon  to  command  the  attention  of 
the  world,  and  which  from  its  locality,  fronting  Puget  Sound, 
will  like  all  other  streams  of  traffic  find  its  way  across  the  Pacific 
to  the  great  centres  of  the  commercial  world. 

And  in  addition  to  this,  is  the  Japan  trade,  now  to  us  a  fact — 
bringing  fifty  millions  of  people  hitherto  exclusives  among  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  into  the  line  of  the  great  highway  of  trade 
and  travel,  where  the  steamers  starting  from  and  for  Puget 
Sound  will  take  their  coal — henceforth  to  be  the  western  Pacific 
coaling  station,  as  Puget  Sound  will  be  its  eastern. 

And  again,  in  addition,  Australian  products  will  in  a  measure 
find  their  way  to  England  over  the  Continental  route.  The 
trade  of  England  with  that  Colony  which  is  so  rapidly  taking  the 
proportions  of  an  Empire  itself,  is  to  be  immense. 

And  still  there  is  another  addition  —  the  India  travel.  The 
average  time  now  between  England  and  Calcutta  by  the  straitest 
line— the  Suez  route  is  48  days,  but  the  passage  by  Puget  Sound 
to  Calcutta,  can  with  ease  be  accomplished  in  38  —  a  saving  oi 
ten  days.  Through  Puget  Sound  the  trade  and  traffic  between 
England  and  Western  Europe  and  the  East,  will  find  its  way 
and  there,  upon  those  waters,  will  rise  the  Liverpool  of  America. 
A  great  Metropolis  must  exist  where  the  line  of  railway  reaches 
the  Sound,  and  that  metropolis  will  be  the  controlling  power  oi 
the  great  north  western  section  of  the  continent.   , 


12 

Victoria  now  contains  some  seven  thousand  people,  and  the 
large  amount  of  shipping  in  the  harbor,  the  busy  marts  of  trade, 
the  grading  of  streets  and  the  rush  of  business,  all  bespeak  a 
large  and  growing  city. 

British  troops  are  in  barracks  at  that  city.  Royal  engineers 
are  there  to  co-operate  across  the  Rocky  mountains  with  a  party 
that  started  from  Montreal  last  Spring,  and  who  will  winter  this 
year  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Sascatchawan.  The  country  is 
represented  as  eminently  practicable,  and  the  idea  of  extreme 
cold  and  deep  snows  is  laughed  at  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Co. 

The  Legislative  Assembly  of  Canada  ordered  a  survey  of 
the  country  west  of  Lake  Superior  in  1857  ;  the  report  hasbeea 
recently  published.    It  says : — 


"The  Saskatchawan,  which  gathers  the  waters  from  a  country 
greater  in  extent  than  the  vast  region  drained  by  the  St.  Lawrence  and 
all  its  tributaries  from  Lake  Superior  to  the  Gulf,  is  navigable  by  ei- 
ther the  north  or  south  branch  for  more  than  a  thousand  miles  of  its 
course,  with  the  single  exception  of  a  few  rapids  near  its  confluence 
with  Lake  Winnipeg.  So  mild  is  the  climate  on  the  south  branch  of 
this  great  river,  that  the  Indians  hunt  the  buffalo  on  horseback  all 
winter,  and  so  little  snow  is  said  to  fall  that  snow  shoes  are  seldom 
used. 

"  That  the  extensive  territory  drained  by  the  Saskatchawan  "and  its 
tributaries  is  fit  for  settlement  in  as  far  as  regards  climate,  is  fully 
proved  by  the  success  which  attend  the  farming  operations  which  are 
carried  on,  although  on  a  small  scale,  at  the  various  trading  posts 
throughout  the  country,  and  by  the  fact  that  the  cattle  and  horses  at 
these  establishments  are  generally  left  to  forage  for  themselves  during 
the  winter. 

"As  regards  the  soil,  from  what  is  yet  known  of  the  country,  there 
is  not  perhaps  on  the  globe  so  great  an  extent  of  territory  so  little 
broken  by  barren  tracts. 

"The  valleys  of  the  Bed  River  and  Saskatchawan  included  within 
British  territory  exceed  400,000  square  miles,  or  equal  in  extent  to 
England  and  Ireland,  part  of  the  German  ocean,  the  English  Channel, 
the  north-eastern  part  of  France,  the  whole  of  Belgium  and  Holland, 
the  greater  part  of  the  Valley  of  the  Rhine,  together  with  the  Kingdom 
of  Hanover. 

"  The  summer  climate  of  this  region  appears  to  be  very  well  adapted 
for  agricultural  operations.  The  summer  temperature  is  nearly  four 
degrees  warmer  than  at  Toronto,  as  ascertained  by  a  comparison  of 


13 

corresponding  observations.  Indian  corn,  if  properly  cultivated  and 
an  early  variety  selected,  may  always  be  relied  on.  The  melon  grows 
with  the  utmost  luxuriance  without  any  artificial  aid,  and  ripens  per- 
fectly before  the  end  of  August.  And  yet  with  these  truthful  registers 
of  climate  we  are  accustomed  to  hear  of  late  spring  and  early  autumn 
frosts,  deplored,  lamented  and  held  up  as  one  of  the  great  draw-backs 
of  the  Red  River.  All  kinds  of  farm  j#oduce  common'in  Canada  suc- 
ceed admirably  in  the  district  of  Assiniboia  ;  these  are  wheat,  oats, 
barley,  Indian  corn,  hops,  flax,  hemp,  potatoes,  root  crops,  and  all 
kinds  of  common  garden  vegetables." 

The  English  government  is  taking  efficient  steps  to  forward 
the  project.  A  corps  of  the  Royal  Engineers  has  been  sent  out. 
The  London  Times  says  : — 

"  The  detachment  is  composed  of  picked  volunteers,  and  embraces 
almost  every  trade  and  profession  —  surveyors,  draftsmen,  engravers, 
artists,  architects,  photographers,  carpenters,  masons,  blacksmiths, 
painters,  miners,  &c,  such  as  only  the  Royal  Engineers  can  produce. 
Steam  engines,  railway  rails,  and  other  mechanical  appliances,  either 
for  steam  or  water  power,  will  be  sent  after  the  party. 

But  one  conclusion  is  to  be  drawn  from  all  this — that  England 
is  using  strenuous  efforts  to  secure  the  greatest  prize  of  all 
time. 

A  company  (Nov.  16,)  is  already  organizing  in  London  with 
a  capital  of  fifty  millions  of  dollars  to  be  aided  by  a  liberal  grant 
of  crown  lands  for  the  consummation  of  the  enterprize. 

In  -view  of  all  this,  what  is  our  position  ?  One  of  masterly, 
inactivity.  Our  government  does  nothing,  and  it  is  plain  that 
if  Americans  would  secure  the  trade  of  the  East,  that  individual 
enterprise  alone  will  accomplish  the  object.  American  com- 
merce stands  second  only  to  England.  It  has  fought  its  own 
way  thus  far,  and  now  a  great  prize  is  before  it.  It  is  easy  for 
American  Commerce  to  lay  its  hand  upon  the  wealth  of  China 
and  Japan,  and  on  all  the  riches  of  the  East.  Shall  it  be 
done?  Can  it  be  done?  It  is  plain  that  if  it  is  done  at 
all,  it  can  only  be  accomplished  by  completing  a  railway  to 
Puget  Sound  at  once.  A  railroad  to  San  Francisco,  desirable 
as  it  is  to  have  such  a  road,  will  not  secure  the  prize  ;  if  at  the 
same  time  we  neglect  that  to  Puget  Sound.  A  railroad  to  Pu- 
get Sound,  constructed  immediately  alone  will  take  the  key  of 
the  Northwest,  from  the  hands  of  the  Nation,  which  stands  with 
us  in  the  front  rank  of  power. 


14 

The  advantages,  and  the  feasibility  of  a  route  from  the  Mis- 
souri river  to  Puget  Sound  are  abundantly  set  forth  in  the  ex- 
ploration made  by  Gov.  Stevens,  by  order  of  Congress.  That 
route  is  undeniably  better  than  any  other  route  surveyed,  but 
we  claim  that  East  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  there  is  a  route  better 
than  that  starting  from  St.  Paul  —  a  route  .  which  would  have 
been  surveyed  by  Governor  Stevens,  had  his  plans  not  been 
interdicted  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

At  the  present  time  three  lines  of  Railroad  are  being  con- 
structed from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Missouri,  one  across  Min- 
nesota, and  one  north-west  from  St.  Paul,  to  connect  with  and 
become  a  part  of  the  British  line.  It  will  be  plain  to  any 
one  who  understands  the  Physical  geography  of  the  country 
west  of  the  Missouri,  that  these  roads  must  find  a  western  ter- 
minus east  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  They  must  become  united 
so  as  to  converge  towards  two  points,  either  to  reach  the  Pacific 
through  the  Southern  Pass  or  through  the  passes  at  the  head 
waters  of  the  Missouri.  The  elevated  range  known  as  the  Black 
Hills,  commences  at  the  great  northern  bend  of  the  Missouri  — 
in  the  bluffs  of  the  river,  and  runs  south-west,  the  hills  increas- 
ing in  size,  till  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Platte,  they  become 
mountains,  and  are  known  at  that  point  as  the  wind  river  chain. 
There  are  no  known  practicable  passes  at  the .  head  waters  of 
the  Platte  through  the  range;  but  north-west  of  Council 
Bluffs,  the  Black  Hills  may  be  crossed  without  difficulty. 
The  valley  of  the  Yellow  Stone  lies  beyond  —  the  only  rich,  fer- 
tile section  of  well  watered  prairie  now  remaining  in  the  north- 
west. It  is  a  well  timbered,  alluvial  section,  from  the  Yellow 
Stone  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  it  is  across  this  section  that 
the  survey  would  have  been  made,  had  Governor  Stevens  been 
allowed  to  carry  out  his  plans.  This  route  we  maintain  is  the 
most  feasible,  the  cheapest,  the  shortest  and  the  most  central  of 
all  lines  between  the  Missouri  and  the  Pacific, 

Starting  from  La  Crosse  over  the  line  now  being  constructed 
from  that  point  —  the  Transit  road  which  will  reach  the 
Missouri  near  the  great  Southern  Bend,  we  will  assume 
as  our  eastern  terminus  of  the  Pacific  route,  or  rather  the 


15 

place  where  all  of  the  other  roads  should  become  a  part 
of  the  Pacific  line,  a  -point  near  old  fort  Aux  Cedres,  or 
fort  Pierre,  about  ten  miles  south  of  the  44th  parallel. 
A  line  running  down  the.  Mississippi,  will  connect  at  the 
mouth  of  the  big  Sioux,  with  the  Dubuque  and  Pacific 
road,  at  Sioux  city,  and  a  line,  which  we  believe  is  al- 
ready projected  from  thence  to  Des  Moines,  will,  with  that  now 
being  constructed  from  Des  Moines  to  St.  Louis,  connect  the 
entire  net  ivork  of  railroads  in  the  Union  with  the  proposed  east- 
ern terminus  of  the  Pacific  line  !  It  will  cross  all  the  Iowa  and 
Missouri  lines. 

The  distances  east,  immediately  connecting  with  our  assumed 
terminus,  wil  be  as  follows  ; 

From  Port  Aux  Cedres, 

u        To  Milwaukee,  via  La  Crosse,      -        -       525  miles 

**        To  St.  Paul, 310     " 

<•         To  Green  Bay, 520     " 

"        To  Chicago,  via  Sioux  City,  Dubuque,        623     " 
"         To  St.  Louis,  via  Des  Monies,      -        -        508     " 

This  is  sufficient  to  show  that  the  central  points,  or  the  point 
which  will  best  accomodate  the  whole  country  must  leave  the 
Missouri,  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  southern  bend 
in  latitude  44.  From  Aux  Cedres,  west,  the  distance  to  the 
Kocky  Mountains,  woftld  be  670  miles.  It  may  be  divided  in 
sections  as  follows : 

From  Fort  Aux  Cedres  to  the  Black  Hills,  over  a  rolling 
prairie,  200  miles. 

From  the  Black  Hills  to  the  Big  Horn  River, 
through  an  undulating  country  not  unlike  the 
Ohio  lands,  110 

From  the  Big  Horn  to  the  Yellow  Stone,  a  rich 
wooded  prairie  country,  63 

From  the  Yellow  Stone  to  the  Muscle  Shell,  over 
a  wooded  prairie,  140 

From  the.  Muscle  Shell  to  the  Hell  Gate  pass  through 
tire  wooded  and  rich  valley  of  the  Upper  Missouri, 
where  it  unites  with  Governor  Steven's  line,  157 

Total  from  Fort  Aux  Cedres,  670 


16 

The  saving  of  distance  by  this  line  over  the  line  surveyed  by 
Governor  Stevens,  starting  from  St.  Paul,  is  great.  The  distance 
from  Saint  Paul  to  the  Lewis  and  Clark  pass  is  1108  miles. 
The  distance  by  Fort  Aux  Cedres  would  be  981  to  the  Hell 
Gate  pass,  a  saving  of  127.  The  saving  in  distance  to  Chicago 
would  be  about  three  hundred  miles,  and  to  Saint  Louis  about" 
five  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 

From  the  Pocky  Mountains  west,  the  line  passes  by  the  Hell 
Gate  river  and  the  Ceur  d' Alene  Mission  over  the  great  plain  of 
the  Columbia  to  Wallah  Wallah,  and  thence  up  the  Yakaima, 
through  the  Snoqualme  pass  of  the  Cascade  range  to  Puget 
Sound,  or  down  the  Columbia  to  the  Cowlitz,  and  thence  to  the 
Sound.  The  last  named  route  is  150  miles  longer  than  that 
by  the  Yakima,  but  it  is  easily  constructed,  and  lies  in  one  of 
loveliest  vallies  of  the  world,  rich  in  agricultural  resources,  and 
timber.  The  central  line  would  be  easy  of  construction,  and 
would  present  light  grades.  The  entire  length  of  road  to  be 
constructed  between  Fort  Aux  Cedres  on  the  Missouri  and  Pu- 
get Sound  is  by  the  longest  route    (no    tunnels)    1608  miles. 

By  the  Cowlitz  river  and  Ceur  de  Alene  Mission, 
.  one  short  tunnel,  1433     " 

By  the  Ceur  de  Alene  and  Yakima,  two  tunnels,  1383     " 

But  as  the  object  of  this  article  is  only  io  call  attention  to 
one  or  two  specific  points,  the  details  relating  to  the  practica 
bility  do  not  require  a  place.  They  are  fully  set  forth  in  the 
report  of  Governor  Stevens.  The  estimated  cost  is  about  the 
same  by  either  route.  There  is  no  grade  so  great  as  may  be 
found  on  the  Western  Road  in  Massachusetts. 

What  then  is  the  obstacle  between  the  commerce  of  the  United 
States  and  the  great  Prize  which  England  is  striving  to  obtain  ? 
Simply  the  construction  of  thirteen  hundred  and  eighty-throe 
miles  of  railway,  through  a  country  rich  in  resources,  with  max- 
imum grades  upon  the  line,  less  than  those  on  the  majority  of 
roads  now  in  operation  in  the  United  States  ! 

With  such  a  line  constructed  the  great  centres  of  the  United 
States  would  be  distant  from  the  Puget  Sound,  as  follows  ;-* 
St.  Louis,        ...  -        1981  miles. 

Louisville,  -  -  -  •  2134       " 


17 

Chicago,  -  -  -  2006  miles. 

Baltimore,  -  -  -  9790      " 

Cincinnati,      -  2221       " 

Green  Bay,  Wis.    -  -  -  1903      " 

New  York,      ....        2949      " 
Philadelphia,  -  -  -  2895      « 

Boston,  ....        2995      " 

Charleston,  -  -  -  1881      " 

The  entire  distance  between  New  York  and  Puget  Sound 
with  trains  travelling  at  thirty  miles  per  hour  will  be  accom- 
plished in  about  4  days. 

The  question  to  be  considered  now  is,  can  the  country 
construct  such  a  line  of  road  ?  It  appears  that  the  Secretary 
of  War,  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis,  in  his  estimates  on  different  routes 
gives  the  following : — On  the  route  from  Council  Bluffs  through 
the  south  Pass,  from  the  Missouri  river  to  the  entrance  of  the 
Black  Hills,  520  miles,  at  $35,000  per  mile.  This  is  rolling 
prairie  and  broken  lands.  From  Fulton,  on  the  Red  river  route, 
to  the  Llano  Estacado,  449  miles  at  $35,000  per  mile,  which  is 
the  minimum  on  all  the  routes.  The  average  cost  of  15  New 
England  roads,  including  the  Boston  and  Lowell,  Boston  and 
Maine,  Vermont  Central,  Western,  Boston  and  Providence, 
Eastern,  &c.,  aside  from  land  damages,  was  $36,305  per  mile. 
He  estimates  the  cost  of  the  Fulton  line  to  San  Francisco,  2000 
miles  at  $45,000  per  mile,  which  is  the  average  cost  of  the 
Massachusetts  roads,  including  land  damages. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  line  from  Fort  Aux  Cedres 
to  Puget  Sound,  can  be  constructed  more  cheaply  than  the 
Fulton  route,  but  assuming  that  to  be  about  an  average  of  the 
cost  of  roads  in  the  United  States,  we  have  the  following 
figures : — 

By  the  longest  route,  1608  miles,  $72,360,000. 
"  the  intermediate  route,  1428  miles,  including  $6,000,000 
for  a  tunnel,  $70,710,000. 

By  the  shortest  route,  1383  miles,  including  $10,000,000  for 
tunnels,  $72,285,000. 

There  will  be  but  little  rock  cutting  whichever  route  is  taken. 
The    supplies  of  timber  are  inexhaustible ;   besides,  the  line 


18 

may  be  constructed  in  short  sections,  which  may  be  reached  by 
water  carriage  from  the  eastern  end,  from  the  Big  Horn,  the 
Yellow  Stone  and  the  Jefferson  fork  of  the  Missouri,  with  a  port- 
age round  the  falls,  and  from  the  Columbia  and  the  Sound. 

With  the  donation  of  such  a  portion  of  public  lands  as  can 
be  obtained  from  Congress,  or  with  such  aid  as  has  been 
granted  to  other  lines,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the 
ability,  of  the  country,  to  construct  the  line  immediately.  It  is 
but  a  small  work  compared  with  what  has  been  accomplished 
during  the  last  five  years. 

In  1852  we  built  2541  miles  of  road. 

"   1853         *         2T48        «  « 

«   1854         "         3549        «  * 

"   1855         "         2736        "  " 

"  1856         "         3578        «  " 

Total  in  five  years,    15,152 

In  1850  there  were  7,355  miles  of  railroad  in  operation  in 
the  country :  now  there  cannot  be  less  than  30,000  miles,  with 
10,000  more  in  process  of  construction,  costing  776,000,000 
of  dollars.  Of  this  amount,  in  1856  the  country  was  indebted 
§300,000,000.  The  entire  amount  of  stock  and  bonds  held 
by  foreign  hands  was  $81,000,000  only!  If,  in  1856  the  coun- 
try put  3600  miles  in  operation,  there  surely  need  be  no 
hesitancy  in  regard  to  our  ability  to  construct  1500  miles  within 
three  years  ! — especially  when  a  large  portion  of  it  is  through 
one  of  the  finest  sections  of  the  country,  inviting  to  the 
emigrant,  unsurpassed  for  fertility,  and  with  a  climate  milder 
than  that  of  New  England !  Inexhaustible  supplies  of  timber 
are  to  be  found  the  entire  length  of  the  route,  with  coal  fields, 
marble  deposits  and  iron  mines.  The  snow  in  the  pass  of  the 
Kocky  Mountains  does  not  average  more  than  two  feet  in  depth 
through  the  winters,  and  the  temperature  is  identical  with  that 
of  Madison,  Wisconsin.  Nature  has  done  her  part  in  removing 
obstacles  from  the  line.  The  facilities  are  unequalled  by  any 
other  route. 

Will  it  pay?  The  question  is  all  but  superfluous.  If  it 
will  pay  England,  why  will  it  not  America,  with  three  thousand 


19 

miles  of  ocean  travel  in  her  favor,  besides  other  incalculable 
advantages*? 

If  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  and  the  great  valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  can  afford  to  obtain  Tea  and  Silks  and  East  India 
goods  shipped  17,000  miles  to  New  York  and  transported  1100 
miles  by  railroad,  most  assuredly  they  can  afford  to  receive 
them  by  a  sea  route  of  5000  miles  and  a  land  route  of  1800  ! 
The  freight  on  Tea  between  China  and  St.  Louis  at  the  present 
rate,  is  not  less  than  $60  per  ton.  The  same  ratio  by  Puget 
Sound  would  make  it  $54  per  ton.  In  addition  to  this  saving, 
there  is  the  less  insurance,  the  gain  of  time,  the  exchange  of 
capital  more  quickly,  the  increased  flavor  of  the  article.  There 
is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  course  of  the  Pacific  trade 
will  change ;  that  our  China  goods  will  reach  us  by  the  way 
of  Puget  Sound. 

But  detail  is  unnecessary,  where  generalities  are  so  plain. 

If  a  railway  will  pay  any  where  in  the  world  it  will  pay  from 
the  Missouri  River  to  Puget  Sound!  The  country  through 
which  it  will  pass,  is  of  itself  adapted  to  sustain  an  immense 
population.  A  line  leading  west  into  the  valley  of  the  Yellow 
Stone,  will  carry  emigration  with  it,  for  there  is  the  home  of 
the  Buffalo,  the  region  of  fertile  prairies  and  rich  ravines. 

It  is  evident  that  the  tide  of  emigration,  rolling  continually 
on  to  the  West,  must  be  turned  towards  the  head  waters  of  the 
Missouri ;  it  has  already  rolled  against  the  Rocky  Mountains 
at  the  South  Pass,  "and  south  of  that,  is  the  great  American 
Desert ;  but  up  the  Missouri,  beyond  the  Black  Hills,  there  is 
still  an  Eden  to  be  possessed. 

The  whole  subject  then  sums  itself  into  this,  that  the  interests 
of  the  railroad  lines  reaching  west  from  the  Mississippi,  the 
interests  of  the  great  cities  of  the  country,  and  the  interest  of 
the  nation,  require  that  a  line  of  railway  should  be  immediately 
commenced  at  some  point  on  the  Missouri,  near  the  Great  Bend, 
to  be  carried  to  Puget  Sound. 

There  is  energy,  ability,  and  enterprise,  sufficient  to  build 
the  road  to  Puget  Sound,  long  long  before  England  can  carry 
her  line  across  the  continent,  provided  the  work  is  commenced 
as  it  should  be,  without  delay. 


20 

How  shall  the  enterprise  be  started  ?  Practical  railroad  men 
will  see  at  a  glance  the  salient  points,  and  we  cannot  donbt  that 
a  movement  will  be  made  towards  the  enterprise.  It  is  plain 
that  all  of  the  leading  lines  in  the  country  are  directly  interested. 
Why  may  there  not  then  be  a  general  convention  of  railroad 
men  —  representatives  of  those  lines,  to  bring  about  a  combina- 
tion of  interests  ? 

If  a,  communication  is  had  with  the  Pacific,  each  great  com- 
mercial centre  hopes  to  receive  its  share  of  the  benefit,  and  each 
leading  railway  line  hopes  to  do  its  share  of  the  business.  It  is 
seen  by  the  table  of  directions  already  given,  that  St.  Louis  and 
Chicago  are  about  equi-distant  from  Puget  Sound,  and  that  the 
Atlantic  cities — Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Boston  and 
Charleston,  stand  respectively  as  they  are  connected  with  those 
cities.  It  is  plain  therefore,  that  each  of  those  cities,  and  the 
lines  of  railway  connecting  them  with  the  West  are  alike  inter- 
ested. 

The  entire  subject  commends  itself  to  the  immediate  and 
earnest  attention  of  our  commercial  interest.  A  movement 
should  be  made  at  once,  to  enlist  the  favor  of  the  entire  c@m- 
munity,  for  there  is  not  a  section  which  will  not  be  benefitted ; 
a  company  should  be  organized;  whatever  aid  can  be  obtained 
from  government  should  be  asked  for  ;  a  reconnoissance  of  the 
route  between  the  Missouri  and  Yellow  Stone  should  be  made, 
and  such  other  measures  as  may  be  necessary,  should  be  taken 
to  secure  that  which  history  will  set  down  as  the  great  event  of 
the  century. 

Again  we  say,  it  is  easy  for  America  to  lay  its  hand  upon  the 
greatest  prize  of  all  time,  to  make  herself  the  world's  work-shop 
—  the  world's  banker. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  statement  of  a  great  question  —  so  great 
that  its  importance  cannot  be  estimated.  It  comes  home 
to  the  heart  of  every  American  who  loves  his  country,  who  re- 
joices in  her  prosperity,  her  mission.  Shall  England  or  the 
United  States  control  the  north-western  section  of  this  continent 
and  the  trade  of  the  Pacific  ?  Shall  England  or  the  United 
States  have  the  Metropolis  of  the  north-west  ?  Shall  the  Euro- 
pean travel  to  the  East,  take  New  York  and  Boston,  Chicago 


21 

and  St.  Louis  in  its  course,  or  shall  Halifax  and  Montreal  receive 
that  travel  ? 

It  is  desirable  that  there  should  be  a  Railroad  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, as  there  will  be  before  long,  for  the  energy  and  enterprise 
of  the  country  demand  it ;  but  a  road  constructed  to  any  other 
point  on  the  Pacific  than  Puget  Sound  will  fail  of  securing  the 
Prize.     England  must  be  headed  off  in  that  quarter  ! 

If,  in  the  next  three  years  we  build  a  line  of  railroad  from  the 
great  southern  bend  of  the  Missouri  through  the  valley  of  the 
Yellow  Stone  and  Columbia  river  to  Puget  Ssund,  the  trade,  the 
travel,  the  wealth,  the  influence,  the  power  is  ours  !  Build  that 
road,  and  America  will  be  the  controlling  power  of  the  world  ; 
neglect  to  build,  and  England  takes  the  prize ! 

This  is  no  sectional  question  ;  for  Georgia  and  Maine,  alike 
are  interested  in  it.  Shall  American  cotton  manufactured  in 
American  looms,  supply  China  and  Japan,  or  shall  it  be  Alge- 
ria and  India  staples  manufactured  in  English  looms  ?  Charles- 
ton is  nearer  Puget  Sound  than  Boston,  and  the  entire  commu- 
nity of  States  east  of  the  Mississippi,  is  nearer  China  and  Japan 
by  Puget  Sound  than  by  any  other  route  that  can  be  found  by 
San  Francisco  or  San  Diego ! 

What  are  the  objections  ?  None.  There  is  plenty  of  water, 
wood,  building  material,  with  light  grades,  a  climate  milder  than 
that  of  New  England  the  entire  distance,  with  an  average  depth  of 
snow  of  only  two  feet  in  the  pass  of  the  mountains  through  the 
winter  !*  with  fertile  soils — with  a  country  capable  of  sustaining 
a  dense  population,  with  iron  and  marble  on  the  line,  with  in_ 
exhaustible  water  power — with  gold  and  coal  at  the  western  ter- 
minus— with  an  unequalled  harbor,  with  the  whole  line,  on  the 
shortest  possible  route  between  the  Pacific,  the  Missouri  and  the 
lakes  connecting  also  with  the  great  lines  of  railway  running 
east  and  South,  and  all  the  net-work  of  roads  in  the  Union  ! 


*  The  elaborate  report  of  Governor  Stevens  settles  two  points  in  regard  to  the 
mountains — that  the  passes  are  practicable,  and  that  there  is  no  obstruction  by 
snow.    We  quote  from  his  report . 

The  Passes.  "  The  Northern  Little  Blackfoot  Pass  is  at  the  source  of  one  of  the 
North  forks  of  Hell  Gate  river,  termed  by  Lieutenant  Mullan,  Little  Blackfoot  river, 
and  is  remarkably  easy.    Tke  Indian  trail  passing  here,  is  a  well-worn  road,  and 


22 

The  only  possible  objection  that  can  be  raised  is,  that  the 
present  population  of  the  Pacific  coast  is  in  California :  granted. 
But  the  population  of  Oregon  and  Washington  already  exceeds 
an  hundred  thousand,  and  the  construction  of  the  road  will  pre- 
cipitate population  in  that  section.  The  question  is  one  of  the 
future,  and  not  of  the  present.    It  is  to  secure  the  prize. 

In  the  consummation  of  the  project,  the  question  addresses 
itself,  first,  to  the  great  lines  of  railway  running  east  from  the 
Missouri  river  —  the  through  lines  to  Charleston,  Baltimore, 
Philadelphia,  New  York  and  Boston  ;  secondly,  it  addresses  it- 
self to  the  merchants  located  in  the  great  centre  of  trade  —  at 
Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Louisville,  New  Orleans,  Charleston,  Cincin- 
nati, Buffalo,  Baltimore,  Pittsburgh,  Cleveland,  Albany,  Phila- 
delphia, New  York  and  Boston :  thirdly,  it  addresses  itself  to  the 
government  as  an  economical  and  political  measure,  whether 
England  or  tjie  United  States  shall  collect  the  revenue,  and  hold 
the  political  power  incident  to  the  controlling  influence  of  a 


is  perfectly  practicable  for  wagons.  The  dividing  ridge  is  an  inconsiderable  hill' 
three  to  five  hundred  feet  high."    Page  99. 

"  On  the  Blackfoot  trail,  the  grades  will  vary  from  thirty-five  to  forty-five  feet 
per  mile.  The  valley  of  the  Bitter  Boot  will  involve  several  heavy  bridge  crossings, 
some  sharp  curvatures,  but  no  grade  exceeding  fifty  feet,  and  few  approaching 
forty."    Page  100. 

Climate.  "  Alexander  Culbertson,  the  great  voyageur  and  fur  trader  of  the  upper 
Missouri,  and  who  for  the  last  twenty  years,  has  made  frequent  trips  by  land  from 
St  Louis  to  Fort  Benton,  has  never  found  the  snow  drifted  enough  to  interfere  with 
traveling.  The  average  depth  of  snow  is  twelve  inches,  and  frequently  the  snow 
does  not  exceed  six  inches."    Page  130. 

"  On  reaching  the  St.  Mary's  valley,  information  was  received  from  the  Flathead 
Indians  that  the  passes  were  generally  practicable  with  horses  throughout  the 
winter."    Page  132. 

"  The  results  may  be  summed  up  as  follows :  In  the  Rocky  Mountains  the 
greatest  average  depth  of  snow  found  by  Lieut.  Mullan,  from  the  28th  of  Novem" 
ber  to  the  10th  of  January  was  only  twelve  inches,  and  that  only  for  a  short  distance 
over  the  divide!  On  the  divide  leading  to  Hell  Gate  river,  there  was  but  two  inches 
of  snow  on  the  31st  of  December.  On  the  27th  of  January,  the  Indians  were  cross- 
ng  the  mountains.  In  March,  Lieutenant  Mullan  went  to  Fort  Benton  by  the 
Southern  and  Little  Blackfoot  Pass,  finding  but  ten  inches  on  the  first  pass,  and  no 
snow  on  the  second  pass. 

"Lieutenant  Grover  left  Fort  Benton  on  the  Second  of  January,  no  snow 
having  fallen  till  the  previous  evening,  crossing  the  divide  by  Cadott's  Pass,  he 
found  but  one  foot  of  snow  on  the  divides  on  the  Blackfoot  trail."    Page  131. 


23 

great  metropolis :  fourthly  it  addresses  itself  to  all  who  would 
derive  the  immediate  benefits  of  a  direct  trade  with  the  east, 
make  America  a  hive  of  industry,  and  extend  its  principles  of 
liberty  and  social  equality  throughout  the  world. 
Boston  Dec.  4th,  1858. 


* 


